National Recommendations

Federal agencies recommend that states improve licensing policies for older drivers. Driver licensing is a state function with no federal oversight. The aging baby boom generation and the results of federally funded research have prompted the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to urge State Departments of Motor Vehicles to develop renewal procedures specifically for older drivers, including:

NHTSA recommends enhanced training programs for law enforcement officers and health care providers on when and how to refer older drivers to the Medical Advisory Board; and for MVA counter staff to identify cues of possible physical or cognitive impairments that can interfere with a driver’s ability to drive safely.

In new proposed guidelines, NHTSA recommends that states implement driver-licensing policies to address older driver safety:

· In person renewal should be required of individual drivers over a specified age that the State determines based on an analysis of their individual crash records.

· Medical review policies should align with the Driver Fitness Medical Guidelines published by NHTSA and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

Medical providers of all kinds who provide a referral regarding a driver in good faith to the driver licensing authority should be provided immunity from civil liability.